UNITED COUNTIES of SD&G, Ontario – Looking to improve land-ambulance services in SDG Counties, Cornwall and SDG paramedics have budgeted a 7.51 per cent increase in operating and capital spending for 2021.
Chief Bill Lister presented the paramedic services budget to SDG Counties council at its January 18th regular meeting as part of the overall Shared Services presentation. SDG and Cornwall have a shared-services agreement, which was renewed late Fall 2020.
Lister told council that part of the capital increase for the budget was not just for replacing existing ambulance vehicles, but to add one additional ambulance for service in the county.
Adding a new ambulance to help improve response time also means increased staffing costs for adding another 12 hour shift, which is estimated to add over 8,300 hours of employment over the year, excluding replacement hours for leave and vacation time.
Three ambulances are already slated for replacement this year. Vehicles are replaced regularly to maintain reliability and keep downtime to a minimum. Replacement ToughBook computers in the ambulances, and three new hydraulic Power Cot replacements will also be purchased. Those projects will cost $75K each, $800K is budgeted for the three replacement ambulances and one new ambulance.
Lister also told council that the cost of Personal Protective Equipment has doubled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that $80K was added to the budget to help with that.
GlenStorDun Lodge also presented its capital plan during the Shared Services presentation. The residence is planning $1.12 million in capital projects, the largest of that being a $650K replacement of its backup generator. Other improvements include modernizing elevators, adding ceiling lifts and new electric beds in some parts of the facility.
The generator replacement will be financed, while the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, Cornwall and SDG Counties will jointly pay for the other capital improvements.
The Social Housing Services department is slated for a 1.99 per cent increase in its operating and capital budget. The department is responsible for over 2,000 rental units in Cornwall and SDG Counties. Part of the increase is due to the hiring of a Project and Asset Management Coordinator for the department.
Child Care services has budgeted a 39.72 per cent increase for 2021 but is taking some steps to mitigate that hike. The City of Cornwall announced January 18th that it was permanently closing its Richelieu Child Care Centre and consolidating programming staff to help with special needs kids. The department has between 10 and 20 providers under its Home Child Care Agency program and through Ontario Early Years centres. There are 13 operators with 36 sites across the city and county regions.
The final budget for Shared Services will be passed by Cornwall council during its budget meetings to be held in early February.
In other council business, two COVID-19 relief funds have put some extra cash in the bank for rainy days as the pandemic continues to affect SDG Counties revenues.
The county received $1.76 million in funding under the Federal/Provincial Safe Restart Funding Agreement this summer, along with $125K in Social Service Relief Funding.
The larger amount has helped offset the county government’s losses from the Provincial Offences Court closures. So far, the net revenue losses of the court are $245K, with interest losses of $176K. Those losses combined with nearly $87K in expenses for personal protective equipment and other related costs have used up $508K of the Safe Restart Funding.
More than half of the Social Services Relief Fund was used in 2020. Two self-checkout machines for the SDG Library system cost $23K, and other IT equipment for the county cost $44K.
The remaining money left over includes $1.254 million in Safe Restart Funding, and the $57K in Social Services Relief Fund monies were transferred into a reserve for use in 2021.
“It might be a statement as to how out of touch this present [provincial] government may be in that [SDG] received $350K that we didn’t ask for,” said Councillor Allan Armstrong (North Dundas).
Armstrong explained that North Dundas received only $59K from the Safe Restart Funding.
“The impact levels are completely disproportionate in each of our townships. Each are incurring larger costs than the collective. I think they’ve really missed the ball on this one.”
It was noted by SDG treasurer Rebecca Russell that an additional $353K in funding under the second phase of the Safe Restart Agreement was received recently.
Another box was checked in converting a closed Iroquois church into a multi-use commercial facility. Counties Council passed an amendment to its Official Plan changing the land-use designation for the former Iroquois United Church from residential to commercial. This amendment, combined with the Municipality of South Dundas recently passing a re-zoning bylaw will enable the Oneida Grand Centre to continue its planned spring 2021 opening.
The business plans to operate as a multi-use commercial venue with a bistro, catering, multiple conference rooms and a reception hall.
This story was originally written for and appeared in The Morrisburg Leader.
